AFL at Pemberton Secondary
What a day… I am so thankful to have friends in Squamish to spend the night before heading off to Pemberton, BC. My good friend made me a latte and presented me with a slice of banana bread with Nutella before I headed north. I did not realize that it would take me more than an hour to arrive at Pemberton Secondary… and what a beautiful school. The surroundings are quite spectacular too. Nonetheless, I made it to the school on time (surprisingly) and immediately felt at home. What a friendly bunch considering the teaching staff and administrators are engaging in professional development before school starts.
This Assessment for Learning (AFL) workshop was special to me for several reasons. First, this will be my third time returning back to the School District No.48 (Sea-to-Sky) talking about assessment. You’d think that these people would get bored with me. Apparently, only 2 of 20 had seen me before at the District Professional Development day at Don Ross Secondary. Whew. I didn’t want to sound like the same old, same old. Second, I got the opportunity to apply what I had learned from the Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) at SFU. I spent a significant amount of time focusing on the learning outcomes, changing my powerpoint, and how I could include active learning into the 3-hour session. I was also curious how I would do. This wasn’t practice teaching time anymore. Third, I had one learning outcome to achieve… to finish my presentation on time. I’ve done about a half dozen workshops and only one of them finished on-time. I needed some closure.
The results… the workshop was PHENOMENAL. I had a great time. People were engaged. They asked good questions. They were honest and genuinely curious. I got group discussion, small group discussion, and excellent FORMATIVE feedback throughout my presentation. I had so much fun implementing what I had learned from ISW. I used a stop watch. I had clear learning objectives. I used my own personal experiences as “the hook” at the beginning of the workshop, during group discussion, and as my closing remarks. If anything, I think I got them thinking about their assessment practices, how it reflects on their course outlines, and opportunities to question current practices that may hinder Assessment for Learning practices. Bottom line, WAY TOO COOL to see collegial dialogue in action. LOVED IT. To top it off, they gave me a parting gift and lunch.
What an amazing experience. Teachers and administrators pulled me aside to ask specific questions about their practice and how they could include AFL to improve student learning. It was awesome to be a part of their problem solving process and I truly feel that the Pemberton Secondary teaching staff is on their way to implementing AFL as it was intended. Very inspirational. Furthermore, I mixed and mingled with the Pemberton staff during lunch to be unexpectedly flowered with more FORMATIVE FEEDBACK. I was ENGAGING… KNOWLEDGEABLE… and GROUNDED. Wow. Could I ask for anything more? Oh yes, my contact person offered to read parts of my dissertation work and give me feedback. It’s all happening at once and it feels good. A peer reviewer… she’s signed up and ready to go.
Along with a fantastic drive to and from Pemberton on the Sea-to-Sky highway, visiting with old friends in Squamish (and much enjoyed reconnecting with them on the way back home), and returning back to SD48 (Sea-to-Sky) to talk about Assessment for Learning… I had a wonderful time at Pemberton Secondary. It is a beautiful area, filled with beautiful people. I am very fortunate to be a part of your pedagogical journey. THANK YOU.
FYI. I will be returning to SD48 (Sea-to-Sky) on November 4th to present at the District Professional Development Day in Whistler, BC. Looking forward.